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Jon Bloomer has posted a review of The Aristocrats' debut album over at Guitar Noize. For those of you who've been living under a rock, The Aristocrats features the killer trio of Guthrie Govan on guitar, Bryan Beller on bass, and Marco Minnemann on drums.
Guitar Noize: Review - The Aristocrats
PRESS RELEASE
Abstract Logix to release New Universe Music Festival double-DVD compilation featuring John McLaughlin, Jimmy Herring, Lenny White, Wayne Krantz, Zakir Hussain and more on September 20, 2011
On November 20 and 21, 2010, maverick record label Abstract Logix hosted a series of spectacular performances, featuring an array of artists who handily defy genre categorization in favor of unbridled expression. The first New Universe Music Festival, primarily sponsored by Godin Guitars and DIY Music was a die-hard music lover's dream, defined by artists who seamlessly mingle compositional ingenuity and improvisational grace and fervor.
A 2 DVD Compilation featuring the music on the CD, along with over 60
minutes of the grand finale Jam tribute to John McLaughlin featuring all
the artists of the festival along with behind the scenes footage and
extensive interviews will be released on September 20, 2011.
The release features pioneering guitarist John McLaughlin and his
current band the 4th Dimension with special guest, world music legend
tabla maestro Zakir Hussain; Widespread Panic guitar hero Jimmy Herring
with his electric band; Return to Forever Drummer Lenny White; the
all-star quartet Human Element (keyboardist Scott Kinsey, bassist Matt
Garrison, percussionist Arto Tunçboyaciyan; fearless guitarist and
improviser Wayne Krantz appearing with the amazing Anthony Jackson on
bass; visionary Indian composer and drummer Ranjit Barot; and emerging
guitar visionary Alex Machacek.
A 2 CD Set of the festival featuring 131 minutes of music was released
on July 19, 2011 to rave reviews:
"The final guitarist on the album is the Mahavishnu himself, John
McLaughlin. His band, the Fourth Dimension, is a tight and nimble unit
that can change directions at will as if all the members are a single
organism. It will take most listeners some time to work through both
discs, but the chance to hear the evolution of jazz/rock guitar in a
live setting is well worth the investment." - Premier Guitar
"For those who like their jazz hard, loud, filled with killer chops and
intricate writing, the 2010 New Universe Music Festival was like manna
from heaven. - All About Jazz
This thing is amazing!!!! UNREAL!!!! - Voice of America
Here's praise for the event itself:
"The New Universe Music Festival brought together an astonishing roster
of legendary and upcoming jazz-fusion musicians-especially guitarists-in
an intimate setting charged with excitement. As might be expected, the
music was superb, culminating in a heartfelt tribute to fusion and world
music pioneer John McLaughlin. I look forward to attending the next
NUMF, though the first one will be very tough to top." -Barry Cleveland,
Guitar Player
JazzTimes editor Lee Mergner attended the festival, observing, "It was a
veritable smorgasbord of fusion, with many of the top-notch artists in
the genre coming together for a series of performances. Jazz-rock fans
attending the inaugural event heard legends like John McLaughlin and
Lenny White, established names such as Wayne Krantz, Human Element and
Jimmy Herring, as well as up-and-comers like Alex Machacek and Ranjit
Barot. From start to finish, the music was electric, even when it was
being played acoustically. There was also a palpable sense of community
as artists generously participated in listening sessions and sat in with
each other throughout the event. I highly recommend this festival and
look forward to seeing and hearing its second incarnation in 2012."
About DIY Media:
DIY Media is the leading platform in social commerce. The company
provides the simplest and shortest means to sell digital content to
online customers. From complete portable storefronts for single tracks,
albums, and entire music catalog shareable widgets to brilliantly
designed and built white label storefronts for entire music catalogs,
DIY Media empowers social commerce in the music industry. The company's
innovative, all-in-one, direct to consumer digital e-commerce
distribution and marketing platform provides record labels, artists, and
digital distributors, with unparalleled reach and revenue opportunities
within the exploding viral marketplaces of Facebook, Twitter, email, and
mobile phones.
About Godin Guitars:
With its early beginnings in 1972, the Godin Guitar family now includes
6 lines of guitars. These include the renowned Godin electric line, as
well as the finely crafted acoustic lines such as Seagull, Simon&
Patrick, Norman, Art& Lutherie and LaPatrie nylon stringed classical
guitars. Godin Guitars is also the manufacturer of the revolutionary
TRIC acoustic guitar case. Based in Montreal Quebec, this Canadian
company has 6 factories, 5 of which are located in the Eastern Townships
of Quebec and 1 located in Berlin New Hampshire.
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I was lucky enough to conduct the backstage interviews for this release which appear on disc two. Follow the link below to pre-order this epic two-DVD set.
Pre-Order Abstract Logix Live - The New Universe Music Festival 2010 (2 DVD Set)
See Also:
Review: Abstract Logix Live! - The New Universe Music Festival 2010 (2 CD)
Abstract Logix Live 2010 - The New Universe Music Festival Promo Video!
Abstract Logix is now taking pre-orders for The Aristocrats' debut album, which has a release date of September 13th. With Guthrie Govan on guitar, Bryan Beller on bass, and Marco Minnemann on drums, this is sure to be one the killer releases of 2011. Check out the sampler below.
Abstract Logix: Pre-Order The Aristocrats
Carl Verheyen has released the double live CD The Road Divides. From Verheyen's official site:
The companion piece to the live CVB DVD, “The Road Divides,” is now available on a special pre-release deal exclusively through http://www.carlverheyen.com.
From now through 8/31, the pre-release price will be only $15 for the double-CD set. Additionally, the first 50 folks who order will receive their copy autographed by Carl Verheyen! The CD price will increase to $18 as of 9/1/11, the official release date. The digital version of “The Road Divides” is available for $11.99 throughout.
The CD version contains sixteen live songs – new and from the CVB catalogue – recorded at Musicians Institute with this incarnation of the Band, their strongest line-up to date. It includes a new, fiery cover version of “Jerry’s Breakdown” (by Jerry Reed), and one new CVB original, “The Road Divides.”
The CD will also include two more unreleased tracks not contained on “The Road Divides” DVD: Live versions of the Beatles’ “Taxman” and Verheyen’s signature tune, “All You Need is Love.”
Total running time is 87:74 minutes.
Disc One:
The Road Divides
Chinatown
Taxman
Highland Shuffle
You Bring Me Down
On Our Way
New Year’s Day
Disc Two:
Henry’s Farm
Jerry’s Breakdown
Bass Solo
Slang Justice
Slang Justice Jam
Take One Step
Eastern Steppes
Topanga Hoedown
All You Need is Love
Drummer Sebastiaan Cornelissen has a new release entitled The Sebastiaan Cornelissen Group which features Marc Guillermont on guitar, Coen Molenaar on keys, and Frans Vollink on bass. See below for the full tracklisting and sampler.
The Sebastiaan Cornelissen Group
1. Forum
2. Unidentified Crawling Objects
3. Loved You Before
4. Paraquats
5. Summer Rain
6. Big Apple
7. Wristkiller
Live4Guitar has a new interview up with Michael Dolce. Dolce discusses his influences, his guitars, and much more.
Live4Guitar: Interview with Michael Dolce
The current issue of The Sound Guitar Magazine is particularly good. Included are great interviews with Eric Johnson, Brett Garsed, and others. Check it out.
The Sound Guitar Magazine: Volume 10
OHM guitarist Chris Poland is involved with a new band project called Polcat. The group's debut album is currently in the mixing stage, and will be released on GrooveQuest Records (a release date has not yet been announced). From the official Polcat Facebook page: "The debut of a new form of jazz supergroup. Four of the jazz world's most unique artists coming together to find a common ground. That is what created Polcat. The band consists of the astounding talents of fusion guitar icon Chris Poland (OHM/Megadeth), Grammy nominated sax giant Frank Catalano (Miles Davis, Beyonce' to Bennett and everything in between), Internationally acclaimed solo artist/bassist Sean O'Bryan Smith (Larry Carlton to Keith Urban and other parts unknown), and drum phenomenon Jim Gifford (Guthrie Govan, Bill "Buddha" Dickens, Roy Vogt and more).
Polcat takes their extremely diverse backgrounds of solo performance coupled with a musical repertoire spanning every inch of the music industry to create their own take on the next step in contemporary jazz. Four composers, locked in a room, and created pure music from its most basic properties. The chemistry was instant and we can't wait to share it with all of you."
